Richard Burton's journal disappears from BBC

A priceless diary written by Richard Burton which was loaned to BBC programme makers by his widow has disappeared, sparking a hunt by internal investigators and Scotland Yard.

The book, believed to have been stolen from a cupboard in an office at Broadcasting House, west London, provides an insight into the actor's troubled mind as he reached the height of his fame in 1965.

It had been among a collection of treasured items lent to the BBC by Sally Burton for the making of a Reputations programme about her late husband's life which was aired in July.

The diary, written a year after the Welsh star first married Elizabeth Taylor, reveals a private antipathy towards his acting career, his feelings about Taylor and an honest account of his battle against alcohol.

Admitting that he had always been a heavy drinker, he confesses in the journal to drinking twice as much when Elizabeth became ill and he got bored.

Although some extracts of the diary were included in the biographical film they were a mere snapshot of what is in the missing journal.

Scotland Yard confirmed that officers were investigating "allegations of theft" reported on July 25.

The diary's disappearance, which is said to have caused Mrs Burton huge distress and sadness, also represents a significant loss for the arts world.

Its financial value is unknown but a BBC spokeswoman admitted yesterday that such an insight into the mind of one of theatre's greats was of "immense historical value".

It is understood that Mrs Burton has contacted her lawyers, who are conducting an internet site search in a bid to discover whether the memoirs have already been put on sale.

The box of memorabilia was kept with other items by the BBC for less than a fortnight in a lockable cupboard in the production office before being returned in a box to Mrs Burton's Chelsea home on March 20, the BBC said.

She is understood to have discovered that the diary was missing in June after returning from a trip abroad and opening the box to inspect its contents.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that we had one of Richard Burton's diaries, which we borrowed during research for the Reputations programme. It is now missing. Our internal investigations department is looking into it and we are doing everything we can to try to locate it."

"We have not given up hope that it may be recovered. We have expressed our deepest regret to Sally Burton for the loss of something that is obviously of great sentimental value to her and historical value in itself," she added.